Five huge volumes comprising the earliest directory for Great Britain, and one which is probably the most important directory for genealogists and historians that we have released on CD. For towns and villages the descriptions of the places are excellent, with details of their facilities, etc, and includes those residents with trades (even those such as farmers, hay-binders, labourers, bakers, shop keepers, etc.) and their addresses.

Although titled "Great Britain", this directory covers places in England and Wales. Volume 1 of the five is devoted to London, volumes 2 to 4 cover the places in the England and Wales in alphabetical order, and vol. 5 contains a number of the subsequent amendments and additions published in the next few years.

"The Universal British Directory of Trade, Commerce, and Manufacture, comprehending Lists of the Inhabitants of London, Westminster, and Borough of Southwark; and of all the Cities, Towns, and principal Villages, in England and Wales; with the Mails, and other Coaches, stage-wagons, Hoys, Packets, and Trading Vessels. To which is added, a genuine Account of the Drawbacks and Duties chargeable at the Custom-House on all Goods and Mechandize, imported, exported, or carried coastwise, with a particular of the Public Offices of every denomination; His Majesty's Court, and Ministers of State; The Peers of the Realm, and Parliament of Great Britain; The Court of Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common-Council, of London; together with an Historical Detail of the Antiquities, Curiosities, Trade, Polity, and Manufacturers, of each City, Town, and Village. The whole comprising a Fund of useful and important Information, equally interesting to the Nobleman, the Gentleman, and Man of Business."

It contains an alphabetical list of people in the area along with their occupation and address plus a classified trades directory. These directories are not the same,however, there are people who are in one but not the other.

The really juicy part is the numerical directory. This is an alphabetical list of streets with lists of virtually every head of household. Not *every* house number is listed (mainly due to the fact that the family may have been out, or they may have doubted the motives of the canvasser) but the vast majority are there.

The date of the directory is important as it makes it an ideal index and searching aid for the 1861 census. You can simply look up the name of your ancestor,in the directory, get the address and *then* go to the street indexes of the census, a major time saver!

The Directory was kindly loaned to the Project by Sandwell Record Office.

Price: 19.50 (23.99 Including VAT at 23%) VAT is only charged on customers in the European Union

There then follows a Court directory of Birmingham and the suburbs (private individuals and their addresses), a commercial directory (alphabetical list of people, their trades and addresses) and a classified trades directory (alphabetical list of occupations and the people who performed them).

Similar to the 1879 directory as below but there are people in this book who are not in the 1879 and vice versa.

The Directory was kindly loaned to the Archive CD Books Project by Sandwell Record Office.

Price: 19.50 (23.99 Including VAT at 23%) VAT is only charged on customers in the European Union

There then follows a Court directory of Birmingham and the suburbs (private individuals and their addresses), a commercial directory (alphabetical list of people, their trades and addresses) and a classified trades directory (alphabetical list of occupations and the people who performed them).

Similar to the 1878 directory shown above but contains aproximately 30 extra pages and a map. There are people in this book who are not in the 1878 and vice versa.

The Directory was kindly loaned to the Archive CD Books Project by Sandwell Record Office.

Price: 19.50 (23.99 Including VAT at 23%) VAT is only charged on customers in the European Union

By this time the Kelly's Directories were becoming much more comprehensive. The street by street directory of Birmingham also includes the suburbs of Acock's Green, Aston, Birchfield, Erdington, Handsworth with Soho, King's Heath, Moseley, Olton, Perry Barr, Selly Oak, Smethwick and Yardley.

Only the following places retain the earlier format of simpler lists of private individuals and commercial traders: Castle Bromwich, King's Norton, Northfield, The Quinton and Water Orton.

Also included is the Court directory (an alphabetical list of private individuals) and a classified Trades directory.

This directory was kindly loaned to The Archive CD Books Project by Sandwell Record Office.

Price: 23.06 (28.36 Including VAT at 23%) VAT is only charged on customers in the European Union

An extremely important directory dated just before the first world war.

House by house and street by street listings of heads of households and their occupations, plus ther usual classified trades directory and an immense amount of general information about Birmingham, its facilities, churches, schools, etc.

This book was kindly loaned to the Archive CD Books Project by Sandwell Record Office.

Price: 23.06 (28.36 Including VAT at 23%) VAT is only charged on customers in the European Union

One of the great advantages of a "late" directory such as this is that it is so easy to trace heads of household either by name or street address. (Each street, and every numbered house is there, together with the head of household and their occupation). Don't think of it as being just a 1940 resource. You will find all branches of your family and their addresses, and then go look at those same addresses in all earlier resources. That's the kind of information that will pull down those brick walls in your earlier research.

This book was kindly loaned to the Archive CD Books Project by Sandwell Record Office.

Price: 23.06 (28.36 Including VAT at 23%) VAT is only charged on customers in the European Union